Comfort One Another

1 Thessalonians 4:10-18

But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; ¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

¹³ But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

Our minds and lives are to be at peace with one another.  Skepticism and separation from any of God's children is frowned upon by God.  Until we read our bible and see the world through the eyes of God our Father, we will continue to be at war with the members of our own bodies and each other.  We ought to reach out to God with open arms and say we are sorry for what He has to look at and see each day in how we interact as His children.  Let Father clean us up, so we can come along and help Him get His house (we His temple) back together.  This is why He asks us to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul.  Then we can love each other.  We are asked twice in this chapter to abound more and more in love.  Ephesians 4:15-16 and Colossians 2:2-3 speak of God's world being knitted together in love.  "...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." and "...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."  Again, we are in a world of mysteries and only love will unlock the invisible door to wisdom, knowledge, and riches.  Only God can give us our hearts desires and passions.  He's the vine and vine dresser wanting to dress us up in a love that our every word and being will open Heaven's windows.  God asks us not to sorrow when people close to us die.  Our world is to be living for our Lord.  So if we live or die we will still know we are with Him forever.  God says there's no hope in us if we let death separate us from each other and Him.  Mourning and feeling sad stops us from drawing nearer to God when He is to be our joy for living.  He asks our world to walk in one mind, one heart, one spirit, and comfort each other.  (Galatians 5:13) "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

Blessings as we exchange love and comfort to all. 

Vincent Young, Christian Analyst